What LIVE & LEARN does

LIVE & LEARN is a private language school and translation services provider headquartered in Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, operating as a sole proprietorship (Einzelunternehmen) under founder Ilka Huhnen alongside co-founder Philip Shiell. The company delivers adult foreign-language instruction across English, French, Spanish (Spain and Mexico variants), Italian, German, Greek, Turkish, Dutch, Japanese, and Russian, using individual coaching or small groups capped at five participants. Instruction is delivered on-site at a 140 sqm training facility in Krefeld-Uerdingen, on-site at corporate client locations, and remotely via Zoom. The company also administers ETS Global certifications (TOEIC, TFI, TOEFL ITP, WiDaF) as an authorized test center and provides professional and certified translations through the long-standing hoonsh translations sub-brand.

The business generates revenue across four streams: recurring private course subscriptions (€39–€120 per month per learner depending on group size and session length), corporate training (Firmentraining) structured around needs assessment, delivery, progress reviews, and certification support, professional translation services, and language certification exam administration. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer via the company's website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Xing), and word-of-mouth, supplemented by field-based enterprise sales for corporate accounts. Named corporate clients include ANDRITZ Küsters, H2U Ingenieurbüro, BPG (a 200+ employee audit and tax advisory firm), and ELK GmbH. Technology is limited and operational rather than productized: SDL Trados for translation workflows, WordPress for the website, Zoom for online delivery, and the founder's published graded reader 'Meadowville' (ISBN 978-3-6963-7575-1) as educational content marketing.

Name

LIVE & LEARN

Legal name

Dipl. Soz.-Wiss. Ilka Huhnen

Website

https://live-and-learn.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Private language school in Krefeld, Germany offering individual and small-group foreign-language courses, corporate language training, certified translation services, and ETS Global exam administration for adult learners and regional businesses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Foreign Language Education and Translation Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691), Translation and Interpretation Services (541930)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Live Online Language Tutoring & Small-Group Classes (EDAMAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL), Virtual Test Prep & Online Supplemental Instruction (K–12) (EDAJADAI)

Keywords

• Language school services
• Corporate language training
• Professional translation services
• Foreign language instruction
• Language certification testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Krefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Private Language Courses: Revenue from private language courses offered in individual sessions (45 min) or small groups (up to 5 participants). Individual training priced at €39 per session for general language and €45 for specialized language. Group courses priced at €60/month for 4 participants (60 min/week) or €120/month for 3 participants (90 min/week).
2. Corporate Training (Firmentraining): Corporate language training services delivered at client locations, at LIVE & LEARN facilities, or online. Includes needs assessment, progress tracking, and certification support for employees.
3. Translation Services: Professional translation services provided through partnership with hoonsh translations. Services include standard and certified translations of various document types.
4. Language Certifications: As an authorized test center for ETS Global, LIVE & LEARN administers and prepares candidates for TOEIC (English), TFI (French), WiDaF (German) language certificates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

LIVE & LEARN is a Krefeld-based language school that delivers foreign language instruction to private learners and corporate clients, complemented by certified translation services and official language certification testing. Courses are offered in individual sessions or small groups of up to five participants, in-person at its Krefeld-Uerdingen facility, on-site at client locations, or online. The company also serves as an authorized ETS Global test center for TOEIC, TFI, TOEFL ITP, and WiDaF exams.

Product overview

LIVE & LEARN is a language school in Krefeld, Germany, offering a unified language services portfolio centered on human instruction and professional translation. The core offering consists of language courses (Privatkurse) for private individuals, corporate training (Firmentraining) for businesses, and professional translation services. The company also serves as an authorized testing center for international language certificates including TOEIC, TFI, TOEFL ITP, and WiDaF. Language instruction is delivered in small groups (maximum 5 participants) or one-on-one, with options for in-person, online, or hybrid formats. Translations are provided through the subsidiary brand hoonsh translations. The company was founded in 2005 and expanded to focus exclusively on foreign language services in 2015.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Firmentraining (Corporate Language Training)

Quantifiable outcome

• Small group instruction limited to maximum 5 participants for faster learning progress
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• hoonsh translationscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1999Long-standing partnership since 1999 for professional translation services. hoonsh translations provides the translation service capability within LIVE & LEARN's full-service foreign language offering, covering multiple language combinations and text types including websites, annual reports, certificates, and official documents.
• ETS GlobalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLIVE & LEARN operates as an authorized test center for TOEIC, TFI, TOEFL ITP, and WiDaF language certification exams administered by ETS Global.
• Unternehmerinnen-Forum in KrefeldminorOthersWomen entrepreneurs business network in Krefeld. LIVE & LEARN maintains membership for networking and business development.
• NÜK – Niederrheinisches Übersetzer-KollegiumminorOthersRegional translators' professional network/association covering the Lower Rhine area.
• BDÜ – Berufsverband für Dolmetscher und ÜbersetzerminorOthersGerman professional association for interpreters and translators (Bundesverband der Dolmetscher und Übersetzer).
• VGSD Verband der Gründer und Selbstständigen Deutschland e.V.minorOthersGerman association for founders and self-employed professionals.
• Marketing-Club KrefeldminorOthersProfessional marketing club in Krefeld with member directory including LIVE & LEARN.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• did deutsch-institut: German language school specializing in German-as-a-foreign-language and corporate programs with in-person and online delivery. Comparable in serving both individuals and corporate clients in Germany.
• TANDEM Sprachschulen: Independent German language-school chain offering group and individual courses plus corporate training in multiple cities. Closely comparable small-group, multi-language model.
• GLS Sprachenzentrum: Berlin-based language school with private courses, corporate training and teacher-training programs. Comparable in offering a diversified language-services portfolio including teacher training.
• Carl Duisberg Centren: German language-school and training provider with corporate programs, private courses, and translation services. Comparable in mid-market German B2B language training and multi-language coverage.
• inlingua Sprachcenter: Germany-based language-school network offering corporate training, private courses, and certified translations across multiple languages. Directly comparable in product mix, multi-language portfolio and B2B sales motion.

Broad incumbents

• Berlitz Corporation: Global language-training incumbent offering in-person, online and corporate programs in multiple languages. Closest analog to LIVE & LEARN's combined private and corporate training model, but operating at global scale.
• LanguageLine Solutions: Large-scale translation and interpretation services provider with enterprise focus. Comparable to hoonsh translations but at substantially greater scale and broader service breadth.
• Wall Street English: International language-school chain focused on English instruction with blended online and in-center delivery. Comparable in combining private learners and corporate contracts with small-group instruction.

Regional players

• Actilingua Academy: Austria-based German-language school serving international learners with small-group and individual courses. Comparable pedagogy and customer profile but geographically distinct from LIVE & LEARN's NRW base.

Emerging players

• Lingoda GmbH: Online language-school platform offering live small-group and 1:1 classes with native instructors across multiple languages. Comparable live-instructor model but with technology-led, scalable delivery vs. LIVE & LEARN's physical-academy roots.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCuc0VIj9-Cw2UfXejwwuRHw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/LIVEANDLEARN.KREFELD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/live-and-learn-krefeld
• Instagraminstagram.com/liveandlearn.krefeld

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about LIVE & LEARN